"Added sugar" refers to sugars and syrups added to foods during processing. Desserts, sodas, and energy and sports drinks are the top sources of added sugar for most Americans, but many other foods contain added sugar.

Sweetness has an almost universal appeal. So adding sugar to processed foods makes them more appetizing. But sugar is also added to foods because it:

Boosts flavor

Gives baked goods flavor, texture and color

Helps preserve foods, such as jams and jellies

Fuels fermentation, which enables bread to rise

Serves as a bulking agent in baked goods and ice cream

Balances the acidity of foods containing vinegar and tomatoes

Foods with a lot of added sugar contribute extra calories to your diet, but provide little nutritional value. In addition, added sugar is often found in foods that also contain solid fats, such as butter, margarine or shortening in baked goods.

Eating too many foods with added sugar and solid fats sets the stage for potential health problems, such as:

Poor nutrition. If you fill up on sugar-laden foods, you may skimp on nutritious foods and miss out on important nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Regular soda plays an especially big role. It's easy to fill up on sweetened soft drinks and skip low-fat milk and even water — giving you lots of extra sugar and calories and no other nutritional value.

Weight gain. There's usually no single cause for being overweight or obese. But added sugar might contribute to the problem. Adding sugar to foods and beverages makes them more calorie dense. It's easy to consume extra calories when eating foods that are sugar sweetened.

Increased triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the bloodstream and fat tissue. Eating an excessive amount of added sugar can increase triglyceride levels, which may increase your risk of heart disease.

Tooth decay. All forms of sugar promote tooth decay by allowing bacteria to multiply and grow. The more often and longer you snack on foods and beverages with either natural sugar or added sugar, the more likely you are to develop cavities, especially if you don't practice good oral hygiene.

In the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that no more than about 5 to 15 percent of your total daily calories come from added sugar and solid fats.

The American Heart Association has even more-specific guidelines for added sugar — no more than 100 calories a day from added sugar for most women and no more than 150 calories a day for most men. That's about 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women and 9 for men.

Unfortunately, most Americans get more than 22 teaspoons — or 355 calories — of added sugar a day, which far exceeds these recommendations.

Identifying added sugar can be confusing. Most people look at the Nutrition Facts part of the label for the total number of grams of sugar in a serving of the product. It's important to realize, however, that the amount shown includes natural sugars found in certain ingredients, such as grain, fruit and milk. The only reliable way to identify added sugar is to look at the ingredient list.

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. If you see sugar listed among the first few ingredients, the product is likely to be high in added sugar.

Sugar goes by many different names, depending on its source and how it was made. This can also make it hard to identify added sugar, even when you read ingredient lists and food labels.

Check for ingredients ending in "ose" — that's the chemical name for many types of sugar, such as fructose, glucose, maltose and dextrose. Here's a list of other common types of added sugar:

Cane juice and cane syrup

Corn sweeteners and high-fructose corn syrup

Fruit juice concentrate and nectars

Honey

Malt syrup

Molasses

Despite what you may have heard, there's no nutritional advantage to honey, brown sugar, fruit juice concentrate or other types of sugar over white sugar.

To reduce the added sugar in your diet, try these tips:

Drink water or other calorie-free drinks instead of sugary sodas or sports drinks. That goes for blended coffee drinks, too.

When you drink fruit juice, make sure it's 100 percent fruit juice — not juice drinks that have added sugar. Better yet, eat the fruit rather than drink the juice to get the fiber, as well.

Choose breakfast cereals carefully. Although healthy breakfast cereals can contain added sugar to make them more appealing to children, skip the non-nutritious, sugary and frosted cereals.

Opt for reduced-sugar varieties of syrups, jams, jellies and preserves. Use other condiments sparingly. Salad dressings and ketchup have added sugar.

In general, eat fewer processed foods and more whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

By limiting the amount of added sugar in your diet, you can cut calories without compromising on nutrition. In fact, cutting back on foods with added sugar and solid fats may make it easier to get the nutrients you need without exceeding your calorie goal.

Take this easy first step: Next time you're tempted to reach for a soda or other sugary drink, grab a glass of ice-cold water instead.

References

Klurfeld DM. What do government agencies consider in the debate over added sugars? Advances in Nutrition. 2013;4:257.

Hess J, et al. Snacking for a cause: Nutritional insufficiencies and excesses of U.S. children, a critical review of food consumption patterns and macronutrient and micronutrient intake of U.S. children. Nutrients. 2014;6:4750.

DiNicolantonia JJ, et al. The wrong white crystals: Not salt but sugar as aetiological in hypertension and cardiometabolic disease. Open Heart. 2014;1:1.

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